Nine

Author: princessgolux
Title: Nine
Fandom: Naruto
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I gain no profit from this story.
Chapter Pairings: None
Chapter Rating: G
Story Rating: NC-17
Chapter Warnings: AU/AR; a teensy bit of cussin’



Chapter Five: Mission

Konoha City, Konoha
Fire Country
518 A.T.D


“Ibiki.” The Sandaime acknowledged Ibiki’s presence without turning from his view of Konoha. The Hokage Tower was the tallest building in the city, built up against and anchored to the side of one of the mountains that formed Konoha’s natural defenses. The entire south side of the Tower was encased in rock but the Shodaime and the Nidaime had insisted that the other walls be transparent, open to the city they loved. So the other three walls were solid for four feet from the floor up and five feet from the ceiling down. The middle eight feet or so were clear as spring water, bulletproof glass reinforced with spells and seals as a concession to Konoha’s collective peace of mind.

Outside the sunrise was spilling golden and glorious over the horizon, catching the metal and stone and splashing out to fill the streets and alleys with light. Along the western side of the mountain the carved faces of the four Hokages warmed as though with pride as their beloved city was revealed again anew.

Inside though, the Sandaime’s stillness made the room feel cold, made Ibiki’s skin prickle with anticipation.

He’d wondered how long he could keep his...association...with Danzou a secret. He knew where all the city’s cameras were, had since he was a kid, although he rarely used the knowledge then. And he’d been selected for ANBU barely a year after he’d passed his Chuunin exam, so his movements were relatively unquestioned. But it was rumored that the Hokage had ways of observation unknown even to the top levels of ANBU, secret jutsus or some kind of special technology handed down from Hokage to Hokage, and Ibiki wasn’t one of Danzou’s orphans, he was a known and trusted Chuunin. Any connection between Morino Ibiki and the radical political leader Danzou would have to be viewed as a threat.

Especially the very...personal...sort of connection that they had.

He kept himself calm, allowed no fluctuation of heartbeat or chakra. He would not lie to his Hokage, he had decided that when he had gone to Danzou the first time. If questioned, he would be truthful and accept the consequences, whatever they might be.

Still.

He wished he could see the Sandaime’s eyes.

The silence stretched out for agonizing minutes but Ibiki didn’t move from his position, kneeling on the floor, one fist on the ground in front of him. He watched the Hokage watch Konoha, his profile strong and proud in the early morning sunlight, as unyielding and eternal as his likeness carved into the rock outside his window.

The intercom buzzed. The Sandaime flicked a finger at it, activating it with a spark of chakra.

“Shiranui Genma and Hyuuga Hizashi have arrived, Hokage-sama.”

“Thank you, Ebisu. Send them in.”

Ibiki felt hollow, iced through and through. A member of ANBU to detain him and a Hyuuga to search out any hidden weapons. There was no doubt in his mind that he was to be arrested and questioned.

“Hokage-sama...” he began, just as the door opened.

“Come in, gentlemen.” The Sandaime cut him off smoothly. The two men dropped into place next to him, to Ibiki’s shock.

“Genma, congratulations on your last mission. Good work.”

“Thank you, Hokage-sama.” Genma answered around his ever-present senbon.

“Hizashi, it’s been a while. How’s little Neji?”

“He is my pride, Hokage-sama.” Hyuuga Hizashi replied. “I believe he will astound Konoha as a Hyuuga and as a shinobi.”

Hizashi did indeed sound proud, Ibiki reflected, but he’d honed his sense of emotional nuance to a fine edge under Danzou’s tutelege and he could hear uneasiness bordering on fear woven faintly through Hizashi’s words.

The ice began to melt a little. Maybe he wasn’t discovered after all.

“Good, good.” The Hokage said. “I anticipate great things from that boy.”

He leaned on his desk. “I have a mission for you three.”

Ibiki clenched his teeth against sudden, wild hope.

“This is a three-part mission, requiring a combination of your talents. The three of you will fly to Bird Country and meet up with a small group of businessmen who require an escort. You will pick them up and escort them to Tea Country, where they will be met by their company who will take responsibility from that point on.”

“That is the stated mission. From Tea Country, Genma and Hizashi will return, leaving Ibiki to continue a second mission in Tea Country.” He paused. “Or at least, that’s what the official record will say.”

All three men looked up, startled.

“What will actually happen, is that Ibiki will drop from the plane between the time you drop below radar range, Hizashi, and the time that you land at the rendezvous. Genma, you will then make a clone, henged into Ibiki, who will leave at Tea Country as planned. As far as anyone is concerned, Ibiki will be on a mission in Tea Country until he returns. That is all you need to know.”

“Understood?”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“Got it.”

“Good.” The Sandaime handed a scroll to Hizashi. “You two go prepare for your mission. I need you both back here and ready to go in fifteen minutes.”

The two ninjas nodded their understanding and left.

The Hokage turned to look out the window again.

Fuck. Ibiki thought. I’m totally dead.

He started when the Sandaime began to speak again, busy trying to panic as invisibly as possible.

“Your mission is more complicated, I’m afraid.” The Hokage said, still looking out the window. “And I can’t explain the specifics of it. What I can tell you is that from Bird Country you will make your way as quickly and quietly as you can to Steel Country. There you will make contact with your mission leader. That person will instruct you further.”

A mission? Ibiki thought. There actually is a mission?

Apparently so.

The Hokage turned from the window and pulled a second small scroll from his inside pocket. He held it out.

“Memorize this now.”

Ibiki couldn’t read anything, anything at all, in the Sandaime’s face or voice.

A mission. he told himself firmly. He took the scroll and unrolled it. He skimmed the brief text – an address – and committed it to memory. The Hokage took the scroll back and made a few seals over it. The scroll burst into flame, vanishing into ash in moments.

“That is the place you will meet your mission leader. The code phrase is ‘the hunting is good this time of year’ and the correct counter is ‘I prefer hunting in the spring.’ From the outskirts of the city until you make contact with your mission leader, you are to be disguised at all times.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.” Ibiki said, automatically.

“Your mission leader will only explain the part of the mission that pertains to you.” The Hokage said, clasping his hands behind his back. His voice was still disturbingly neutral. “There will be things you may be asked to do – or not to do – that may seem strange. Keep in mind, however, that your mission leader speaks with my voice. If that person judges a course of action to be correct, take it as a direct order from me.”

He fell silent again and Ibiki kept his eyes level, his panic subsided now.

“Tell no one of this mission after your return. Your mission leader will give you a cover mission for your return, to be used when you debrief with your ANBU leader. The mission will be rated as classified, so you can justify seeming to withhold certain details until you report to me.”

The buzzer sounded again.

“Shiranui Genma and Hyuuga Hizashi have returned, Hokage-sama.”

“Thank you, Ebisu. Let them know Ibiki will be out in a moment.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

Ibiki rose to leave, nodding to the Hokage.

“Ibiki.” The Sandaime said, and stopped abruptly. Ibiki turned, but the Sandaime was looking out the window again.

“Hokage-sama?” Ibiki asked, his hand on the door.

“Remember...that I trust you.” The Hokage said, quietly. Ibiki froze.

“Hokage-sama...” he said, suddenly uncertain. He had an impulse to tell the Sandaime everything, to throw himself at his leader’s feet.

“That’s all, Ibiki.” The Sandaime turned and his expression was neutral again. “Good luck.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.” Ibiki swallowed, inclined his head in farewell and left, unsettled.